| 08:00 |
Registration - Tea/Coffee & Exhibition
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| 09:00 |
Opening Ceremony
Dr Pynadath George
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| 09:15 |
A Special Guest. An Extraordinary Story/ Former England Captain | International Footballer
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| 10:45 |
Tea/Coffee & Exhibition
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| 10:59 |
Moderator: tbc
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| 11:15 |
Team Dynamics in Implant Dentistry: The Winning Formula Successful implant dentistry depends on more than clinical expertise. It requires a cohesive team whose members understand their roles, communicate effectively and work towards a shared goal: delivering excellent patient care.
This lecture explores how the entire team work alongside the implantologist to create a coordinated patient journey, from initial consultation and treatment planning through to surgery and long-term maintenance.
The session will examine the foundations of effective team dynamics: clear responsibilities, mutual trust, anticipation and shared accountability. It will also consider how to create an environment where every team member feels confident to speak up, raise concerns and contribute ideas.
Delegates will leave with practical approaches to improving communication, strengthening handovers and learning together through team briefings and constructive debriefs. The focus is on creating a winning formula in which individual strengths combine to improve the experience of both patients and the team.
Learning Objectives By the end of this session, delegates will be able to:
Describe how complementary team roles contribute to a coordinated implant patient journey.
- Apply structured briefings and clear handovers to improve communication and teamwork.
- Identify behaviours that build trust and enable every team member to speak up and contribute.
- Develop a practical improvement to team working through clearer responsibilities, checklists or constructive debriefs.
Faresh Desai  Dr Faresh Desai is co-founder and Clinical Director of Ascent Dental Care, with a special interest in dental implantology. A practice principal since 2007, he has helped build a group of private dental practices across the Midlands, with a team of more than 40 clinicians.
He graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2002 and has since completed postgraduate diplomas in Restorative Dentistry and Implant Dentistry from the Royal College of Surgeons of England, as well as further postgraduate qualifications in Bone Grafting and Conscious Sedation. He is also a Fellow of the College of General Dentistry (FCGDent).
With more than 15 years of surgical and restorative implant experience, Dr Desai provides a full range of implant treatments, from straightforward cases to complex full-arch rehabilitation. He has particular expertise in same-day smile transformations, including All-on-X implant treatments, alongside extensive experience in IV sedation.
He has lectured nationally and internationally for leading implant organisations and supports colleagues through clinical mentorship.
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| 12:00 |
When Things Go Wrong: Managing Complaints with Confidence Complaints are an inevitable part of dental practice, but the way they are handled can determine whether a concern is resolved quickly or develops into a significant dispute.
This session is designed for the whole dental team and will explore how complaints arise, why seemingly minor concerns can escalate, and how every member of the practice can contribute to effective complaint management. We will consider the importance of listening, communication, empathy and early intervention, as well as the common mistakes that can make a difficult situation worse.
The session will examine how to respond to complaints professionally, structure an effective written response, manage expectations and recognise when a complaint requires escalation or external support. It will also consider the growing impact of artificial intelligence, including increasingly detailed AI-assisted patient complaints and the opportunities, limitations and risks of using AI when managing and responding to them.
We will also consider the importance of contemporaneous records and how complaints can be used constructively to improve systems and patient care.
The aim is to give delegates a clear framework they can take back to their practices and use with confidence.
Learning Objectives By the end of the session, delegates should be able to:
- Recognise the common causes and early warning signs of patient dissatisfaction and complaints within dental practice.
- Apply effective communication and de-escalation techniques when responding to an unhappy or dissatisfied patient.
- Describe the key principles of a fair, professional and effective complaints-handling process, including appropriate documentation and written responses.
- Use complaints and patient feedback as a learning opportunity to improve team communication, clinical governance and patient care
Anoop Nandra  Anoup Nandra
BDS (U.Birm) Dip.MFGDP (UK) Dip.MJDF (RCS Eng) Dip.Imp.Dent. (UCL) MSc Implant Dentistry (UCLan) PGC.Med.Ed (U.Wlv) F.CGDent LLM (Cardiff) FDS (RCS Eng)
Anoup Nandra is a Principal Dentist at Rock Dental in Wolverhampton and Edgbaston Dental Centre in Birmingham, with over 20 years’ experience in general, implant and restorative dentistry.
Alongside clinical practice, he has a strong interest in dento-legal matters, clinical governance, consent and professional standards. He holds an LLM in Medical Law and Ethics, is an experienced dental expert witness, and has produced medico-legal reports since 2007.
Anoup is a Fellow of both the College of General Dentistry and the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and currently serves as Vice President of the College of General Dentistry and elected West Midlands Representative.
He lectures nationally and internationally on implantology, ethics, communication, governance and professional standards, and has published in both the British Dental Journal and Primary Dental Journal.
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| 12:45 |
Lunch & Exhibition
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| 13:45 |
Clean, Complete and Surgery-Ready: A Practical Guide to Implant Instruments, Decontamination and Aseptic Standards This lecture is designed for dental nurses and practice managers who are involved in supporting implant treatment within practice. The session will provide a practical overview of implant instruments and surgical kits, including how they should be checked, cared for, maintained and kept surgery-ready.
The lecture will explore the importance of correct decontamination processes and a key focus will be aseptic best practice and why preparation, organisation and consistency are essential when supporting implant procedures.
Delegates will gain a clearer understanding of how dental nurses and practice managers can work together to create safer, smoother and more confident implant surgery workflows. The aim is to highlight that successful implant surgery starts long before the patient enters the surgery. It begins with clean, complete, well-maintained instruments, clear systems and a team who understand the importance of getting every detail right.
Learning Objectives By the end of this session, delegates will be able to:
- Understand the importance of correct decontamination and instrument care in implant dentistry.
- Identify key implant instruments, kit components and the importance of keeping them complete and surgery-ready.
- Recognise the role of stock control, maintenance and replacement planning in supporting smooth implant workflows.
- Understand the principles of aseptic best practice and how the dental team can maintain safer surgical standards.
Stacey Sagar  Stacey Sagar is a dental nurse implant educator, business consultant and founder of Practice Growth Coaching. With over 24 years’ experience in dentistry, Stacey began her career as a dental nurse and went on to work as an implant nurse, treatment coordinator, business development manager within the dental implant industry and even Head of Sales for Dental commercial sales.
Stacey has worked with practices across the UK supporting implant growth, team training, treatment coordination, patient communication and dental implant nurse development. Her training is known for being practical, relatable and focused on helping teams build confidence in real clinical situations.
Through Practice Growth Coaching, Stacey delivers in-practice training, CPD courses and consultancy programmes designed to help dental teams improve systems, communication, patient journeys and implant workflows. She is passionate about supporting dental nurses, practice managers and wider teams to feel more confident, valued and prepared when delivering implant dentistry.
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| 14:45 |
From Assessment to Recovery: The DCP’s Role in IV Sedation for Implant Dentistry Intravenous (IV) sedation has become an invaluable adjunct in implant dentistry, enabling anxious patients to access treatment comfortably while facilitating the delivery of complex and lengthy procedures. However, successful sedation is never the responsibility of the clinician alone; it relies upon a skilled and coordinated team, with Dental Care Professionals (DCPs) playing a pivotal role from initial assessment through to recovery and discharge.
This lecture will explore the principles of conscious IV sedation and its application within implant dentistry, focusing on the practical and regulatory responsibilities of DCPs throughout the patient pathway. Delegates will gain an understanding of patient preparation, chairside support, monitoring, documentation, recovery and discharge, alongside the importance of effective communication and teamwork.
The session will also review current governance requirements, including CQC expectations and recognised sedation standards, highlighting the training and competencies required to support sedation safely. Practical guidance will be provided on creating a calm clinical environment, assisting with cannulation and phlebotomy, reducing patient anxiety through communication techniques, and anticipating the needs of both the sedationist and implant clinician.
By the end of the session, delegates will have greater confidence in their role and a range of practical strategies to enhance patient safety, comfort and treatment outcomes.
Learning Objectives By the end of this lecture, delegates will be able to:
- Define conscious IV sedation and explain its benefits in implant dentistry.
- Describe the responsibilities of DCPs during assessment, treatment, recovery and discharge.
- Understand the governance, documentation and training requirements associated with sedation practice.
- Identify techniques that improve patient comfort, reduce anxiety and support successful sedation.
- Apply practical strategies to support both the sedationist and implant clinician during implant procedures.
Key Message
The success of a sedation case is often determined not by the drugs administered, but by the quality of the team supporting the patient before, during and after treatment.
Andrew Little  Dr Andrew Little graduated with Honours from Queen's University Belfast in 2008 before completing his MFDS and postgraduate training in Dental Implantology and Medical Education. He is the Owner and Clinical Director of Precision Implant Clinic, Banbridge, and Armagh Dental Clinic, and is registered to practise in both the United Kingdom and Ireland.
With over 16 years' experience in implant dentistry, Dr Little has trained extensively throughout the United Kingdom and Europe and remains committed to ongoing professional development, ensuring his practice reflects the latest evidence-based techniques and innovations. He provides all aspects of implant treatment, from single implants in the aesthetic zone to advanced hard and soft tissue grafting, full-arch rehabilitation and the management of complex multidisciplinary cases.
Dr Little has also maintained a special interest in conscious sedation since 2010. Having completed formal intravenous sedation training at SAAD London, sedation has become an integral part of his clinical practice, helping anxious patients access advanced implant treatment in a safe and comfortable environment. He has mentored numerous dentists and dental nurses through their sedation training portfolios and competency pathways, supporting the development of high standards in sedation practice within primary care.
Dr Little is part of the faculty of JAG Implant Training Academy's EduQual-accredited implant programme. He currently serves as the Northern Ireland representative and Board Member of the Association of Dental Implantology (ADI).
His clinical philosophy is centred on delivering predictable, patient-focused and evidence-based care, with a strong emphasis on safety, education and excellence in treatment outcomes.
Qualifications
- BDS (Hons), QUB
- MFDS RCSEd
- PGCert Dental Implants
- PGCert Periodontology
- PGCert Medical Education
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| 15:30 |
Tea/Coffee & Exhibition
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| 15:45 |
Full Arch, Full Team: The Dental Nurse’s Role in Digital Dentistry Using a single full-arch immediate-load case as the clinical thread, this session follows the digital patient journey from initial records and planning through surgery, photogrammetry, 3D printing and delivery of the provisional and definitive prostheses. At each stage, Dr Aly Virani will show how a trained dental nurse can move beyond chairside assistance to become an active, accountable member of the digital team. The session will explore practical contributions including clinical photography, intraoral scanning, radiography and CBCT acquisition, digital data management, phlebotomy, suture removal and support during full-arch prosthetic procedures. It will clearly distinguish what may be undertaken following appropriate training, competence, indemnity and delegation from those responsibilities, such as diagnosis, prescription and treatment planning, that remain with the relevant clinician. Alongside the technology, Aly will address a common frustration: gaining a qualification but not being given the opportunity to use it. Delegates will leave with practical strategies for
building trust, documenting competence, agreeing protocols and creating supervised opportunities that turn training into a valuable role for the individual, the practice and the patient.
Learning Objectives By the end of the session, delegates should be able to:
- Map the complete digital full-arch workflow, from data collection and treatment planning to photogrammetry, 3D printing and prosthesis delivery, identifying where each team member contributes.
- Recognise practical roles for appropriately trained dental nurses, including clinical photography, intraoral scanning, radiography and CBCT acquisition, phlebotomy, suture removal, digital data management and surgical or prosthetic support.
- Distinguish task performance from clinical responsibility, recognising the importance of training, competence, indemnity, delegation and local governance, as well as the boundaries around diagnosis, prescription and treatment planning.
- Create a practical pathway for applying new skills in practice by documenting competence, agreeing protocols, seeking supervised experience and demonstrating value to clinicians, the wider team and patients.
Aly Virani  Dr Aly Virani is an implant dentist and Clinical Director whose practice is limited to the
placement and restoration of dental implants, with a special interest in full-arch immediate
loading and complex digital workflows. He graduated with honours from Cardiff University
and holds postgraduate diplomas from the Royal College of Surgeons of England and
Edinburgh, together with an MSc in Clinical Oral Implantology from Ulster University. He is
an Associate Fellow of the College of General Dentistry and a Fellow of the British College of
Dental Implant Surgery.
From 2013 to 2019, Aly was a Clinical Research Fellow and Honorary Clinical Lecturer at
Bristol Dental Hospital, contributing to undergraduate periodontology and postgraduate
implant teaching. He has also served as a Young ITI ambassador and an ADI board member
representing Wales.
Aly lectures nationally and internationally, mentors clinicians across the UK and works as a
Key Opinion Leader for several implant and digital dentistry companies. Named Young
Dentist of the Year in 2023, he is passionate about team-based care and about helping every
member of the dental team use appropriate training, technology and clearly defined
responsibilities to improve the patient journey.
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| 16:45 |
Breath-Holding Nurse Syndrome Dental nurses carry real, daily pressures, and this session doesn't skip past them. Instead, Victoria Wilson gives delegates the tools to understand their own stress patterns and the confidence to change them. Drawing on the stress bucket model and the wellbeing continuum, this practical session hands nurses a framework they can use themselves: recognising what's filling the bucket, building small sustainable habits in breath, movement and daily reflection, and learning to trust their own capacity to shift how they feel. Rooted in the belief that lasting change comes from habits people choose and keep, delegates leave with a realistic, take-home resource built for dental teams to put into practice, for themselves, and for each other.
Learning Objectives By the end of this session, delegates will be able to:
- Understand the stress bucket model and wellbeing continuum, and apply them to identify personal and team-level stress patterns before they escalate
- Demonstrate a chairside breathwork and micro-movement technique suitable for use between patients without disrupting clinical workflow
- Evaluate their own daily habits and implement a sustainable self-reflection practice to support long-term behaviour change
Victoria Wilson  Victoria Wilson is a Dental Therapist with over twenty years of clinical experience, and an internationally recognised speaker and educator. She began her career in 2001 at Eastman Dental Hospital, London.
Behaviour change runs through absolutely everything Victoria does, from her research to her work with patients and colleagues. She's fascinated by what actually helps people build and sustain the daily habits that support their health, not by any single fix. Breathing, movement, rest and self-care all play a part, but she's careful not to reduce wellbeing to one practice, it’s the sustainable, everyday habits, and the support to keep them, that make the real difference, for patients and clinicians alike.
She is the founder of Smile Revolution and the Emirates Dental Hygienist Club, promoting oral health and wellbeing through innovative leadership and global outreach. She serves as a Dental Research Enabler for the NIHR, researches the impact of telehealth on oral health, and sits on the boards of global dental organisations. She also hosts the Smile Revolution Podcast.
A certified yoga instructor, myofunctional therapist, functional breath coach and mental health first aider, Victoria runs online classes exclusively for dental professionals before and after clinical days. Her corporate wellbeing programme is built on a robust, evidence-led strategy for integrating sustainable wellbeing into company culture, adapted specifically for dental teams, with clear demonstrated impact.
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| 17:45 |
Close
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| 19:00 |
Congress Dinner
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